Chosen by the editors of the Riverhead News-Review, The Suffolk Times, Shelter Island Reporter and Northforker, the honorees were each presented with their award during a cocktail reception at The Vineyards at Aquebogue in a return to pre-pandemic tradition.

The annual awards, which have been handed out since 1987, are given to leaders in local public and community service, education, business and sports.

RIVERHEAD NEWS-REVIEW

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: The Rev. Bohdan Hedz
2021 Person of the Year: Anthony Harris

2022 Community Leader of the Year: Marylin Banks-Winter
2021 Community Leader of the Year: Kelly McClinchy

2022 Educator of the Year: Rose Horton
2021 Educators of the Year: Dena Tishim and Laura Nitti

2022 Sports Person of the Year: Bob Finan
2021 Sportsperson of the Year: The Riverhead athlete

2022 Public Servants of the Year: Steve Shauger & Kristy Verity
2021 Public Servant of the Year: Dawn Thomas

2022 Business of the Year : The Suffolk
2021 Businesspeople of the Year: John and Otto Wittmeier

THE SUFFOLK TIMES

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: Erica Steindl
2021 Person of the Year: Gabby Stroup

2022 Community Leader of the Year: Rena Wilhelm
2021 Community Leader of the Year: Rev. Natalie Wimberly

2022 Educator of the Year: Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta
2021 Educator of the Year: Melanie Douglass

2022 Sports Person of the Year: Jovan Booker
2021 Sportsperson of the Year: Dylan Newman

2022 Public Servant of the Year: Carolyn Peabody
2021 Public Servant of the Year: Charles Sanders

2022 Businessperson of the Year: Fred Schultz
2021 Businessperson of the Year: Paul Romanelli

SHELTER ISLAND REPORTER

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTOS

2022 Person of the Year: Lisa Shaw
2021 Person of the Year: Laurie Fanelli
2020 Person of the Year: Brett Surerus

NORTHFORKER

CHRIS FRANCESCANI PHOTO

2022 northforker Person of the Year: Ian Wile
2021 northforker Person of the Year: Stacey Soloviev

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Below is a complete list of this year’s honorees. Click to read more about each person and join us in congratulating them all!

Person of the Year: The Rev. Bohdan Hedz

Community Leader of the Year: Marylin Banks-Winter

Educator of the Year: Rose Horton

Sports Person of the Year: Bob Finan

Public Servants of the Year: Steve Shauger & Kristy Verity

Business of the Year: The Suffolk Theater

The post Riverhead News-Review 2022 People of the Year appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

In front of them, classic film searchlights set Riverhead aglow at the ribbon-cutting for the theater’s renovations that March 2013. Chatty guests donned period attire and rolled up in antique cars, references to the theater’s original opening in 1933.

The theater’s red marquee has long illuminated East Main Street, and recently shined a brighter light on Riverhead’s historic downtown and its many businesses as the town transitions out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For commitment to revitalizing Riverhead’s downtown and highlighting local businesses, the Riverhead News-Review has named The Suffolk its 2022 Business of the Year. 

Bob and Dianne Castaldi have been at the helm there since 2005, and this year, the performing arts center rebranded from The Suffolk Theater to The Suffolk. 

The idea for rebranding — which pivots the venue from its cabaret-style model of “dinner and a show” — was a joint effort by the Castaldis and Gary Hygom, The Suffolk’s executive director since last January.

“I said, ‘It feels odd that we’re describing ourselves as a theater when that’s a moniker that doesn’t really fit us,’” said Mr. Hygom, 62, who has worked in live theater and the music industry for over 30 years. 

The trio made the shift to meet what Mr. Hygom said is an “imperative” at a performing arts center: working with the neighborhood. 

“One of the things that a performing arts center should do is help grow the town around it,” he said. The Suffolk began referring its patrons out to local restaurants “to help keep them moving and growing.” 

Ever since the venue was restored in 2013, it had functioned as a place for guests to enjoy a full meal and a show. Pre-pandemic, chef Noah Schwartz of Noah’s served up pre-fixe courses and in 2021, chef Jennie Werts from Ellen’s on Front in Greenport prepared full meals. Now, the venue offers plenty of cocktails, appetizers and desserts, but leaves the main courses to local eateries.

The shift comes amid massive revitalization efforts in downtown Riverhead. Earlier this year, the town received a $10 million grant that will be used to create the Town Square, implement floodplain mitigation projects and offset the costs of construction near the Long Island Rail Road station.

The Suffolk is also in the final steps of a planned renovation that Mr. Hygom said would expanding the stage depth from 16 to 30 feet. Mr. Castaldi first filed the site plan application for the expansion in 2018. 

In April, the News-Review reported that planned renovations also include a 59-foot addition to the rear of the building to expand its backstage area. 

Recently, Mr. Hygom said the project would also include backstage space for dressing rooms, a green room, production offices and a loading dock for equipment. New electric lines would also be installed and the stage grid ceiling would be replaced with steel and high-beams. 

“It will so revolutionize what we are able to do as a venue, and what we can provide to the community,” he said. “It will really be transformative.”

Riverhead Chamber of Commerce president Connie Lassandro said The Suffolk serves as “an anchor in the community” and called the potential renovations “incredible.”

“They’re bringing in new performers and with these upgrades to the theater they will be able to bring in performances that could [previously] not be accommodated,” she said in a phone interview.

Locals, too, can look forward to seeing more plays at the venue, Ms. Lassandro added, saying, “It’s been nothing but positive for Riverhead.”

The theater continues to partner with Riverhead’s East End Arts. On Dec. 4, they co-hosted a seasonal vendor fair at The Suffolk, inviting 30 local artists to display work in the theater space The Suffolk also works with Riverhead Free Library to offer library members discounts on show tickets, Mr. Hygom said. 

Next year, The Suffolk aims to extend the boundaries of its partnerships beyond Riverhead, seeking to collaborate with wineries, breweries and other businesses in Southold Town and on the South Fork. Diversifying programs — like bringing in world music artists, film series and activities/events for families and children — are also on the to-do list, Mr. Hygom said.

New York casting director and producer Stephen DeAngelis, who said he’s hired over 100,000 performers in his career, has hosted three concerts at The Suffolk this year. The venue appealed to Mr. DeAngelis — who crafts one-off concerts featuring Broadway stars — because it’s intimate. 

“For me, it feels like Broadway in your living room,” he said. “I just have so much respect for Gary and the staff at The Suffolk – they’re what the arts and entertainment are supposed to be about. … Its about giving people a place to identify with what’s happening on stage, or to have a catharsis.” 

In October, The Suffolk hosted DeAngelis’ “Broadway Fright Night” – a combination of horror, supernatural and sci-fi, with tunes performed by notable Broadway actors including Richard Todd Adams (title character in“The Phantom of the Opera” and Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables”) and Jackie Burns (Elphaba in “Wicked”). He’s now working to finalize the lineup for a show slated for February. 

The Suffolk makes a conscious effort when selecting performers to be sure they benefit downtown businesses and encourage people to invest in downtown, Mr. DeAngelis said. “Gary works to make the theater a hub and a magnet, so people can appreciate the other good work that’s being done in town.”

Mr. Hygom, who grew up in Wading River from third grade, said Riverhead’s East Main Street was always “the place to be.” With The Suffolk, the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce and the BID now working together, he said, the town “will be a force to be reckoned with.” 

“I think to the Town of Riverhead, [The Suffolk] can truly be one of the catalysts that begin to revitalize this town and really make a difference,” he said. “That’s our goal, that’s our hope — to be one of the engines that drives new businesses … and shows that we are not just Route 58.”

Previous Winners

2021: John and Otto Wittmeier
2020: Jerry Dicecco Jr. and Jonathan Perkins
2019: Beth Hanlon
2018: Anthony Meras
2017: Irwin Garsten
2016: PeraBell Food Bar East
2015: Jim and Barbara Cromarty
2014: Riverhead’s craft brewers
2013: April Yakaboski
2012: Richard Stabile
2011: Dennis McDermott and Kayleigh & Tahir Baig
2010: Dee Muma
2009: J. Gordon Huszagh
2008: Ray Pickersgill
2007: Ray Maynard
2006: Jack Van de Wetering
2005: Jeff Hallock and Dr. Frank Arena
2004: Massoud Family
2003: Andrew Mitchell
2002: Christine & Peter Loew, EastEnders Coffee House
2001: Jan Burman
2000: Fred Terry
1999: Jim Bissett, Joseph Petrocelli
1998: Swezey’s Department Store
1997: Pat Frankenbach
1996: Chip Cleary
1995: Ed Merz
1994: Bill Talmage
1993: Joe Fischer
1992: Liz Strebel
1991: Barry Barth
1990: Bobby Goodale
1989: Mike Kent
1988: Stan Hagler

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Finan’s longtime association with auto racing aside, he isn’t a motorhead, isn’t a gearhead. One isn’t going to find him ogling muscle cars or attending car shows.

That’s not him. He says he knows nothing about cars.

“I could tell when a car is not running right,” he said. “I could almost tell you what it is. Don’t ask me to do anything about it.”

The interesting thing about it is that Finan has spent the majority of his life around cars. Not just any cars — race cars.

While Finan admittedly isn’t mechanically inclined, he has skills that have defined his extraordinary career as a stock car racing public address announcer.

Finan, who will turn 65 in February, spent 47 years announcing races, mostly for Riverhead Raceway, a connection that continues even though he called his last race for the racetrack Nov. 12 and moved to Dunedin, Fla.

The man who announced racing legends like Charlie Jarzombek and Fred Harbach is a legend himself. Acclaimed as the longest-serving announcer in Long Island motorsports history, Finan has left behind a legacy that demonstrates the impact a PA announcer can have on a community. That is why Finan has been named the Riverhead News-Review’s 2022 Sports Person of the Year.

Finan’s introduction to auto racing came as a 13-year-old visiting Islip Speedway for the first time in 1971. Sitting in the front row by a turn where dust and pieces of rubber tire flew in the air, the young Finan was captivated by the spectacle.

He loved it.

“When I walked into that racetrack and I saw those Modifieds and then the Figure Eights and the Demolition Derby,” he recalled in a phone interview from his Dunedin home, “I just looked at my friends and said, ‘This is it! We are seeing something magical.’ ”

That magical sense never left Finan.

In 1973 he bought a season pass to Islip Speedway. He spent Sundays reading auto racing trade papers from front to back.

Finan’s life course turned in 1975. A promoter, Tom Galan, gave him an opportunity to announce a Modified qualifying race in Riverhead Raceway’s former creaky, wooden press box on stilts. Following a five-minute crash course, Finan recalled, Galan patted him on the back, said, “You got it,” and walked away.

Finan said: “I was definitely nervous, but there was a little bit of me that said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be able to do this or I’m not. This is really my only spot in this sport.’ ”

It was an unlikely start to a long career that surprised even Finan himself. “The comedian in me wants to say, ‘Yeah, I fooled them for 47 years,’ ” he said.

With no college and no formal training, the Brentwood High School graduate began working full-time as a track announcer and public-relations person for Barbara and Jim Cromarty at Islip Speedway and Riverhead Raceway. He worked for the Cromartys for 38 years until they sold Riverhead Raceway in 2015, but Finan remained, serving current owners Tom Gatz and Connie Partridge.

On race days, Finan scoured the pit area, notebook in hand, talking to drivers to collect information to include in his commentary, press releases and stories.

“Bob would always want to find out what the story was,” said Stephen Halpin of Wading River, Finan’s announcing partner for 29 years. “… It gives the fans a human side of who these people are who are racing.”

Dylan Slepian, a Modified driver from Lake Grove, said, “He just wanted to sharpen his pencil and have the latest information.”

So much of that information remains in Finan’s head. He can rattle off records, statistics and history at the drop of a hat, astounding people with his recall. Finan once explained to someone marveling at his computer-like memory for facts and track history: “It’s my passion. I love it more than life itself sometimes.”

For all of Finan’s retention ability, there are some statistics that are beyond even his encyclopedic knowledge. He never counted how many races he announced. “Sometimes” he remarked, “ I say to myself: Did I actually talk to a million people?”

Yet, there is an amazing figure that stands out. The number of race days Finan has missed over 47 years: three.

That’s it. Three!

He missed back-to-back shows 30 years ago to attend a brother’s wedding and a family birthday and he missed one in 2013 when his son, Bill, got married.

(Halpin, by the way, has a remarkable attendance figure himself, missing only two shows in 29 years.)

“At the end of the day, we’re carnival barkers,” Halpin said. “We’re just trying to get everyone riled up and ready to go.”

As Finan saw it, his job was about more than just announcing. He was working for the promoters, the fans, the drivers, the sponsors and the vendors selling food and merchandise.

Halpin, 51, said Finan made their announcing partnership comfortable from the start. “To sit next to him was a dream because you knew Bob was the voice of Riverhead Raceway,” he said.

“He is all about the show,” Halpin continued. “He’s always been about the show. He makes the School Bus Demolition Derby sound like fireworks are going off.”

Finan’s talent at his craft was unquestioned.

“He could have gone down South,” Halpin said. “He could have worked for one of the networks and all of that other stuff, but he definitely wanted to stay here … He could have been big time, no problem, but this is his big time.”

A series of events led to Finan’s decision to move to Dunedin. At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Finan lost his job at a telemarketing business. While unemployed, he cared for his father, William, who was dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. His father died last August at the age of 90.

Finan said he would have preferred an “Irish goodbye,” quietly slinking away, but word got out that he was stepping down from the announcing booth.

Finan called his last scheduled race Nov. 12, when Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Mass., won the Islip 300.

Halpin said: “People keep asking me, ‘Who’s replacing Bob Finan?’ There’s no one replacing Bob Finan.”

Although the voice of Riverhead Raceway has left, Finan’s pen remains busy. He continues to write for the racetrack.

Finan said, “I’m at peace with it now because it’s the offseason.” He noted that when next season starts, though, it will be rough on him not to be behind a mic.

“When they open that racetrack the first Saturday in May for opening night and I’m sitting down here and I’m not in that booth, I might have to go to therapy,” he said, laughing. “I might need somebody to talk to.”

Previous Winners

2021: The Riverhead Athlete
2019: Ethan Greenidge
2018: Pat Kelly
2017: Bill Hedges
2016: Paul Koretzki and Bob Szymanski
2015: James Suarez

Editor’s Note: There was no Sports Person of the year named in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mr. Shauger, general manager of the Hyatt Place East End, is president of the BIDMA, a position he’s held since July 2016, after serving on the board since 2013. 

Ms. Verity is BIDMA’s executive director, a position she’s held since July 2019. Her background is in marketing, public relations and event planning. 

“Excellent choices,” said Councilman Tim Hubbard, who is the Town Board liaison to the BIDMA. “Those two single handedly put together the Alive on 25 concerts,” adding “It’s a massive undertaking every year and they are always hands on with everything they do.”

Mr. Hubbard said the events bring visitors to downtown Riverhead who might then come back to explore the town further.

“The businesses all feel that anything that can generate people in the downtown area is a great thing,” said Connie Lassandro, president of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce. “All the events they’ve had bring a lot of camaraderie and community spirit to the area. It’s something that’s welcomed by the businesses and by the community at large.”

The chamber has actually taken over running the Cardboard Boat Race, although Mr. Shauger and Ms. Verity still help out, Ms. Lassandro said. 

“They are very compassionate about the town,” she added.

The Business Improvement District is a taxing entity that represents businesses in downtown Riverhead, and consists essentially the Riverhead Town Board members. The district’s management association — BIDMA— is appointed by the Town Board to run the day-to-day activities of the BID. 

Events produced by the BIDMA include Alive on 25, which is easily its most popular and takes place four times each summer, including a fireworks show in July.

More recently added events include an “Oktoberfest” that features beer, food and live music and the Halloween Fest, which begins with coffin races in the afternoon, and concludes with a Halloween Parade at night.

Previous Winners

2021: Dawn Thomas
2019: Allen Smith
2018: Dashan Briggs
2017: Richard Ligon
2016: Tom Lateulere
2015: Susan Wilk
2014: Carl James
2013: Dennis Cavanagh
2012: Ed Romaine
2011: George Woodson
2010: Robert Brown
2009: Barbara Grattan
2008: Liz Stokes
2007: Michael Reichel
2006: Gary Pendzick
2005: The Riverhead Ambulance Corps
2004: Richard Wines
2003: Ken Testa
2002: “KeySpan Coalition”
2001: Ed Densieski
2000: Judge Richard Ehlers
1999: Barbara Blass
1998: Vicki Staciwo
1997: Lenard Makowski
1996: Buildings & Grounds
1995: Jack Hansen
1994: Jim Stark
1993: Rick Hanley
1992: Lawyer Jackson
1991: Andrea Lohneiss
1990: Monique Gablenz
1989: George Bartunek
1988: Patricia Tormey

Editor’s Note: There was no Public Servant of the year named in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Kat Hill, one of the head teachers in the infant room at the school was in awe of how Ms. Horton handled the tragic situation.

“She did a therapy yoga session for the teachers wanting to attend. She had a therapy dog come in for the kids who were in the class with the little girl who passed away,” Ms. Hill said. “I felt like the way she handled it was so great, because none of us had ever really dealt with that before.”

For Ms. Horton though, giving back doesn’t stop just at the community at St. David’s School. She thinks about the Riverhead community at large, and that is why she has been chosen as Riverhead News-Review’s educator of the year. 

Ms. Horton has been the director at St. David’s School since April 2017. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Childhood education from Manhattanville college and is working on finishing a master’s program at Stony Brook University, according to the school’s website.

According to Louise Markert, St. David’s assistant director, hiring Ms. Horton has been “literally a blessing” for the school. 

Before Ms. Horton was hired, Ms. Markert had been the acting director for four months after the school’s previous director left abruptly in December 2016. Ms. Markert even considered possibly shutting the school down if they couldn’t find a viable candidate for a new director.

“I was the acting director and out of the grace of God, literally, she came down and interviewed and we hired her right after that, she was just so lovely and kind, she seemed [to be] everything that we needed here,” she said. 

Under Ms. Horton’s leadership and with the help of the staff, Ms. Markert said enrollment has doubled. “Now, we are the best we have ever been since opening,” Ms. Markert said. The school has been a licensed childcare center in Riverhead since 1997.

According to the school’s website, during Ms. Horton’s tenure, she has helped connect the school with local nursing homes, raised money for troops, donated to Peconic Bay Medical Center and served lunches to local veterans.

Shannon Stinson, whose 4-year-old daughter has been a student at the school since 2019, said Ms. Horton teaches and runs the school with the action of giving back to the community at the forefront.

“She really emphasizes community, and not just community within St. David’s — the teachers, the parents, the children — but really the Riverhead community and reaching back out to that community,” she said.

In early 2020, the children at St. David’s school put together 60 care packages for members of the Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing. In May 2021, students at Saint David’s universal pre-K program set up a lemonade stand that sold lemonade, iced tea and snacks to raise funds in memory of Keri Stromski, a beloved Riverhead kindergarten teacher who died from breast cancer at the age of 48 in April that year. They have also held fundraisers in the past for organizations like Maureen’s Haven.

“We do so many benefits, fundraisers, food drives, cereal box donations, and it really instills in the kids from a young age, that there is no greater service than giving back to your own communities and strengthening your own community,” Ms. Stinson said.

Pete Barraud, co-owner of Riverhead’s North Fork Brewing Co., has both of his children attend the school. He also sits on the school’s board of education and is impressed by how Ms. Horton prioritizes the children even in the business aspect of the school.

“I just feel like she’s continually dedicated to prepping her staff,” he said. “The teachers at St. David’s are great, [they’re] up to date on care and what’s new in the world of education … she’s there every day, and in the thick of it, but also has the back end of the business aspects of it and it’s quite impressive.”

Mr. Barraud said her biggest strength has been being kind and creating a completely safe atmosphere for children to learn and grow.

“I know her staff absolutely adores her, and rightfully so,” he said. “She’s just got an incredibly wonderful demeanor. When you’re talking about the development of children, such an integral part of it is just the social-emotional development, and that’s her biggest strength, in my opinion, just creating a completely safe atmosphere.”

Previous Winners

2021: Dena Tishim and Laura Nitti
2020: Kimberly Benkert and Robert Brandi
2019: Sal Loverde
2018: Ed Meier
2017: Felicia Scocozza
2016: Melissa Haupt
2015: Robert Shilling
2014: Greg Wallace
2013: Keri Stromski
2012: Jeff Doroski
2011: Jim Schaefer
2010: Stacy Tuohy
2009: Laura Grable
2008: Vincent Nasta
2007: Marion Dorman
2006: Theresa Drozd
2005: Frank Rotenberg
2004: Kevin McAllister
2003: Leif Shay
2002: Bob Jester
2001: Jean Lapinski
2000: Pat Rose
1999: Pat Snyder
1998: Carol Masin
1997: L. Custer, J. Greenberger
1996: Terri Peters
1995: Jim Roth
1994: Tim Hubbard
1993: Dot Moran
1992: Dorothy Lipsky
1991: Willie Patterson
1990: Audrey Stupke
1989: Ray McKieghan
1988: Stanley Krouse

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From Revolutionary War encampments to rumrunning and potato farming, the history told here does not often celebrate people or communities of color.

As she uncovered stories of her own family members, Marylin Banks-Winter sought to change that. She began advocating for the recognition of Aquebogue’s Bell Town as a key heritage area; an initiative that took several years and was finally celebrated in May.

For her efforts to bring to light an often unacknowledged part of local history, Ms. Banks-Winter is the Riverhead News-Review’s 2022 Community Leader of the Year.

“She’s fearless,” said local historian Richard Wines, chair of the town’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. “She’s also extremely energetic and willing to get things done.”

In the 1930s, four brothers, the sons of a self-taught Black farmer and the grandsons of slaves hailing from Powhatan County in Virginia, made the move to Aquebogue, joining the millions of African Americans who left the South in search of better lives as part of the “Great Migration.”

The four Bell brothers, — Mansfield, Condry, Ezekiel and Melkiah — worked a variety of jobs in Riverhead and bought 16 acres on the north side of Hubbard Avenue, which were divided into 32 residential lots that they sold to family and friends who also moved north from Virginia. The lots include what is now Bell Avenue, Hobson Drive and Zion Street.

Ms. Banks-Winter began researching their history more than five years ago. Her mother, the Rev. Mary Cooper, is the daughter of Mansfield Bell. 

Riverhead is very, very important to her and it’s imperative that it thrives and that people thrive here

Tijuana Fulford

The Bells were instrumental in starting several area Baptist churches and built a self-sufficient community. “They were basically pioneers and they were here to help,” Ms. Banks-Winter said in a 2021 interview about her research, pointing out that one brother owned a garbage truck, one had a cesspool company, another farmed and another worked as an accountant. “Each one of them had a particular skill so that they were able to serve the people in the area.”

Mr. Wines recalled how Ms. Banks-Winter approached the Landmarks Preservation Commission and began telling the fascinating history. “She wanted to find a way that history could be honored,” he said. “It’s important to acknowledge that community because the Great Migration made a huge contribution to Riverhead’s wonderful mix of people, and it’s a heritage that doesn’t get acknowledged often.”

Like her ancestors, Ms. Banks-Winter is also civically and entrepreneurially engaged. 

A graduate of Riverhead High School, she proudly served the country in the United States Army for eight years.

She is the president and CEO of A&M Electric and previously ran a talent agency that represented R&B, hip hop and gospel singers as well as models and actors. 

Ms. Banks-Winter is also the founding president and co-chair of African American Educational and Cultural Festival, Inc., a nonprofit that promotes diversity and family by providing youth mentoring and college planning, workshops, enrichment, cultural and historical trips and other programs at local schools and libraries.

She’s served on a wealth of committees, including the Riverhead Town Anti-Bias Task Force, Downtown Revitalization committee, the Suffolk County Executive’s African American Advisory Board and is a member of the Riverhead Central School District’s Diversity and Cross Cultural Task Force. She has also served as a trustee for the Riverhead Free Library and is a former board member of the East End Arts organization.

“[Ms. Banks-Winter] served our country in the U.S. Army and now she serves our community through numerous boards and committees,” said former town councilwoman Catherine Kent, who got to know Ms. Banks-Winter well during her tenure on the Town Board and recruited her as a member of the downtown revitalization committee.

“I immediately saw what a civic-minded person she was,” Ms. Kent said. “I thought she had a good vision for downtown — and she’s not shy about speaking up.”

Her positivity and proactive spirit are evident in her support for the downtown corridor, as she frequently attends ribbon cuttings and press conferences, but also manifests in timely social issues. Ms. Banks-Winter has helped register people to vote ahead of elections and was a voice of peace during demonstrations held locally in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

“She’s good at bringing people together in a diplomatic way,” Ms. Kent said, recalling how during those demonstrations, she organized a group of young leaders to meet with community leaders to ensure they had a voice, but that the protests remained peaceful.

Ms. Banks-Winter was also recognized by the Butterfly Effect Project at a “Wo/Men Empower Wo/Men” event earlier this year for her community work.

BEP founder and director Tijuana Fulford described Ms. Banks-Winter as a “complete Riverheadian” with her pulse to the ground.

“She tries her best to uplift everyone in the community and she walks with grace and integrity,” Ms. Fulford said. “Riverhead is very, very important to her and it’s imperative that it thrives and that people thrive here.”

In May, around 100 people attended a ceremony along Hubbard Avenue in Aquebogue as a sign was unveiled to commemorate Bell Town as an official heritage area, the first of its kind throughout the entire town.

“She brought together an amazing group of people to do that,” Mr. Wines said, reflecting on the event. “And managed to get the street closed for the whole morning. It’s probably the nicest sign we have anywhere in Riverhead.”

Addressing the crowd, Ms. Banks-Winter referred to the step as the first towards “rectifying the incomplete history” of Riverhead and its citizens.

The sun shone down as she spoke about her grandfather and his brothers; the new lives they began here against all odds — and legacy they’ve left nearly 100 years later.

A legacy that, thanks to Ms. Banks-Winter, lives on.

Previous Winners

*The award was previously called Civic Person of the Year

2021: Kelly McClinchy
2020: Lillian Pennon
2019: The McMorris family
2018: Charlene Mascia
2017: Ron Fisher
2016: Dwayne Eleazer and Larry Williams
2015: Tony Sammartano
2014: Thelma Booker
2013: Vince Taldone
2012: Georgette Keller
2011: Nancy Swett
2010: Rich Podlas and Chuck Thomas
2009: Tom Gahan
2008: Keith Lewin
2007: Open Arms and Bread & More Inn
2006: Mike Brewer
2005: Sid Bail
2004: Kathy Berezny
2003: Jill Lewis
2002: Chrissy Prete
2001: Joe & Gloria Ingegno
2000: George Klopfer & Lt. Col. Anthony Cristiano
1999: Louise Wilkinson
1998: Charles Ramsey, Gwen Mack
1997: Judy Jacunski
1996: Peter Danowski
1995: Sherry Patterson
1994: Barry Barth, Bobby Goodale
1993: Arnold Braunskill, Don Owen
1992: Bernice Mack
1991: Judy Weiner
1990: Nancy Gassert, Gwen Branch
1989: Betty Brown
1988: Paul Baker

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In the rectory of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Riverhead, news of the invasion was deeply personal. The Rev. Bohdan Hedz watched the news and made daily calls to Ukraine — his native country, where many of his friends and family members live.

In many ways, the Rev. Hedz was not surprised by the viciousness of the Russian attack. As he said at a pro-Ukraine rally in Riverhead, “This is what they do. And if they are not stopped, they will keep going. Ukrainian freedom is everyone’s freedom.”

In a matter of days, the Rev. Hedz and the dedicated members of his congregation, as well as Ukrainian-born residents across the region, began to organize. First, a rally was held by the flagpole at Town Hall in Riverhead. Dozens came, many carrying signs denouncing the Russians. The Rev. Hedz spoke to the crowd, encouraging them not to waver in their support for his native land.

But the Rev. Hedz and his congregation went well beyond a single rally. They turned the basement of the church on Pond View Road into a supply hub, where everything from blankets to sleeping bags to medical supplies could be assembled, boxed and transported to Newark International Airport for flights to Poland and Ukraine.

By spring, more than 40 tons — yes, tons — of supplies was shipped to refugee centers in Poland. A visit to the basement one day showed a dozen volunteers boxing supplies; later in the day, another volunteer loaded a truck and drove it to New Jersey. It would be repeated several days later and would continue through the summer and into the fall of 2022.

For his work — and for the work of his congregation and all the volunteers — the Rev. Hedz is the Riverhead News-Review’s Person of the Year.

“I don’t deserve anything,” he said in an interview. “Everyone who helped, they deserve it.”

The Rev. Hedz arrived at the Riverhead church in 2014. Prior to that, he had been in upstate New York. He came to New York from Ukraine in 1998 to enroll as a student at St. Basil, a Ukrainian-Greek-Catholic seminary in Stamford, Conn. Becoming a priest was not something he thought about as a child; later, in high school in Ukraine, he felt a calling — and he followed it.

I have done a lot of soul searching. Where is God in all of this? But God is there — he is in the midst of it.

The Rev. Bohdan Hedz

“It was a kind of voice,” he recalled  one day, sitting behind the desk in his office at the rectory. “I was in church. St. Nicholas, in my city, Mykolaiv. It was Easter Monday. The church was open. I was by myself. I went in, and it happened.”

The message was unmistakable, he remembered. “It was ‘Your place is here,’ ” he said.

St. John the Baptist in Riverhead was his first assignment in a parish in which he was the sole priest. Almost immediately, he discovered something about his new congregation and about Riverhead: “The people are phenomenal here, so welcoming.”

The church offers masses in both English and Ukrainian. Over the years, the congregation grew, and it has grown even more since refugees began arriving in the area from Ukraine after the start of war.

“With the new arrivals, we are often packed,” he said. “ But considering why they came — it’s sad.”

Speaking about events in his native Ukraine, the Rev. Hedz said the Russian invasion actually began in 2014, with the annexation of Crimea. He can reach deep into his native country’s history, recalling the man-made famine of 1932-33 imposed by the Soviet Union’s dictator, Josef Stalin.

“Growing up we heard all the horror stories,” he said. “People from western Ukraine tried to bring food to the eastern part of the country and they were shot. History tells us not to be surprised by what the Russians do.”

Speaking of the massive effort in the church basement with a strong group of volunteers to get supplies to Poland and Ukraine, he said, “We stopped counting after we hit the 40-ton mark in the spring. We are now shipping directly to Ukraine.”

When will the relief effort stop at the church?

“We will keep doing it,” he said. “We are in for the long haul. The war will end and there will be rebuilding. Beyond that, all of Russia is accountable for the horror of what has happened.”

He knows newer members of the congregation who came from Ukraine after war started are hurting. Hometowns have been destroyed. Friends have been killed. “It’s tough to say anything to people who have suffered so much,” he said. “I listen. And I preach the Gospel. We are there for them.”

Asked if the war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine — there are reports of widespread rapes, along with destruction of civilian buildings — has eroded his own strong faith, he said, “I have done a lot of soul searching. Where is God in all of this? But God is there — he is in the midst of it. He knows about suffering. He knows what it means to be hated.”

Previous Winners

2021: Anthony Harris
2020: Dr. Lawrence Walser
2019: Det. Brian Simonsen
2018: The Students of Mercy High School
2017: Byron Perez
2016: Tijuana Fulford
2015: Steve Beal, Kevin Burgess, Anthony Chiaramonte and J.R. Renten
2014: The Shoreham-Wading River football team
2013: Michael Hubbard
2012: Denise Lucas
2011: Laurie Nigro, Amy Davidson
2010: Linda Hobson
2009: Chris Kempner
2008: Riverhead Blue Waves
2007: Maureen’s Haven
2006: Sister Margaret Smyth
2005: Alan Shields
2004: Phil Cardinale
2003: Vince Tria
2002: Bryan Tressler
2001: Annie Jackson
2000: Judy Young
1999: Members of the First Congregational Church
1998: Eileen Miller
1997: Vinny Villella
1996: Vic Prusinowski
1995: Pat Stark
1994: Sonny Okula, Jim Kane
1993: Jack Van de Wetering
1992: Bobby Goodale
1991: Joe Janoski
1990: Robert Tooker
1989: Jim & Connie Lull
1988: Jesse Goodale

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